Located at 14 Omata Road, this community hall was built in 1924. Funds for the hall were raised through a debenture scheme initiated by a group of local residents. It was officially opened by the deputy-Mayor, Mr H.V. Griffiths on 3 July 1924. It was designed by Messrs. H. Wallath and R. Lovell and the total cost was about £1,000 of which £850 had been raised by the debenture scheme.
The contractor was Levi Harold Saunders, who later was reported as running into financial trouble, partly due to difficulties with the construction of the hall, including the building being blown down in a gale only 3-4 weeks from completion.
It replaced the original hall which was built about 1900 on an adjoining section owned by Mr E. Marfell. This old hall was shifted to the rear of the new piece of land, purchased from Mr Marfell, and the new building was erected. Described as one of the most modern in New Plymouth it featured dressing boxes and a picture box.
It would be some 25-30 years before the debentures were repaid and at the same time the hall was extensively renovated. For many it was a focal point for the suburb, hosting dances, meetings, weddings, badminton, bowls and numerous other activities.
Eventually demand for the hall dwindled and the long running Westown Hall Society handed over responsibility for the venue to the New Plymouth Aikido Association.
The Westown Hall was demolished in 2014.
Legal description: Lot 10 DP2905, surveyed in 1911 for Mr E. Marfell, ICS Pre 300,000 Cadastral Plan Index (Imaged by LINZ)
Source: "Still Building: The Willie and Rosalie Still Story", Willie Still as told to Kath Brown, edited by Gordon Brown, 2011.
Related document:
Progressive Westown: Opening of New Hall (TDN 4 July 1924)
Westown Hall: First Annual Meeting (TDN 7 May 1925)
Does it live or die? (Sunday Express 4 December 1977)
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